Retail threatens Steam ban

[The1Doc]

 

As for people wanting a physical copy: they're called DVD-Rs. They're cheap. The Stables where I'm at sells them $20 for a 25 pack. A cd label maker will make them pretty for you too.

Plus, I believe you can re-download a game, in the event you get a new computer or need to reinstall windows.

thats probably the only thing i like about steam. the ability to back up games with patches & to download the whole game. but i'd rather not have to re-dl a big game like fear 2 or something though lol

[RZ1029]

I'm going to make the mistake of saying and just say it:

 

I kind of miss Halo: Combat Evolved online mode. CD goes in drive, you punch in long string of numbers, game installs, you play. Done.

 

Want multiplayer? Click the multiplayer button, check for updates/patches, then pick your server. Kill stuff, have fun. Done.

 

Want to have social networking in your game? Go join the forums, go join Xfire (great idea, never really took off), go join your local videogame club at the library. Problem solved.

 

That being said, Steam --is-- a good thing. It allows MANY great games made by small-time developers to put their game out there, and I'll tell you, some of them are insanely fun. If there was ever a cross between Xfire and Steam, I'd register in a second. Entirely OPTIONAL, but a good option, should you choose it. Oh, and I'd just like to say, it's a whole lot easier to lose/break/scratch a disc than it is to lose/break/scratch a digital file on a massive server somewhere that says what you have and don't have. And if you're like me, and paranoid, print out your receipt and keep it in your fireproof safe next to your birth certificate.... (Seriously.)

 

That's about it, rant over. Danke.

 

EDIT: Also, PunkBuster > VAC, nuff said. Also, neither is necessary for a singeplayer game. End of story. Nobody cares if you use an aimbot in Fallout: New Vegas. Or if they do, they need to find something better to do.

Edited November 24, 2010 by RZ1029

[Vagrant0]

EDIT: Also, PunkBuster > VAC, nuff said. Also, neither is necessary for a singeplayer game.

And yet PunkBuster is always running on my system... Even after disabling it in startup and blocking the services it uses. Atleast Steam, you can close when you aren't using it.

[JimboUK]

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3083/65650734.jpg

 

This just about sums up the disaster that is Games attempt at a download service.

[CommanderCrazy]

Wow.

[Salamander8]

Steam has issues, but the benefits for me at least, outweigh these annoyances. Case in point, after getting my new computer set up since I have all my files backed-up to my external drive, it was child's play for me to get my 220+ gigs of Steam games up and running without having to fart around with re-installing all these games, not to mention some company's lovely DRM and registry hassles. Steam also gives indie games a great platform for more exposure of their products. Local game stores have steadily been getting worse and worse with PC game availability so I buy more and more via Steam and/or Amazon.

[ita]

This boycott doesn't bother me as long as publishers still release their games on disc so I can buy them in online stores. Being somewhat old-fashioned, I prefer to have hard copies of the games I buy.

[CommanderCrazy]

Being somewhat old-fashioned

 

No, being somewhat normal.

[urbex]

Games on disc are just unnecessary clutter, imo.

[ita]

I live in IKEA-country so getting cheap furniture to store all that clutter isn't much of a problem. Also, I got a bunch of nice postcard-sized prints and a soundtrack CD with my copy of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat so it's not all unnecessary, imo.